Today marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. This day is celebrated to inspire and celebrate women’s achievements around the world. It is an official holiday in many countries across the globe, and today on the centennial, people around the world are gathering on bridges to show support for women’s causes. If you go here (also accessible by clicking the Google logo on Google’s home page) you can find one of the bridges nearest to you, or if you can’t get to one of them, you can log in virtually to participate.

There are a variety of causes that are being celebrated today including empowerment, economic security, education, equality & leadership, health, and safety & security. You can support these causes by donating to various charities and organizations, or if you want to take a more personal approach, we are doing our part by providing training courses that will help the cause. Check out titles like our Leadership Skills for Women Course and our Men and Women Working Together Course. Or if you really want to empower yourself and make a presence in a typically “guy’s world”, go for an IT certification! See all LearnKey products

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The CompTIA Strata IT Fundamentals exam FC0-U4, is designed for individuals that are new to the IT industry and who are looking to prove their knowledge and understanding of technology and computer hardware basics, compatibility issues and common errors, software installation and function, security risks and prevention, Green IT and preventative maintenance practices. This is a great starting point for anyone starting out in IT including students, people looking to switch careers or those looking to solidify their knowledge by achieving certification.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, we just released Strata IT Fundamentals video training to help you prepare for your exam. Check out the product details:

We have partnered with noted Microsoft SQL Server Expert Wayne Snyder and Mariner, a leading Microsoft Gold Partner to produce a webinar that will take place on Wednesday, March 23 at 1PM ET. The webinar will be led by Snyder, one of the industry’s most experienced and knowledgeable SQL Server professionals. The webinar will provide information about SQL Server R2, LearnKey’s SQL Server 2008 Implementation and Maintenance training course content, and will also have a question and answer session. Participants can email questions to info@mariner-usa.com and Wayne will answer during the session. A white paper entitled “Why Upgrade to SQL 2008 R2 for DBAs” will be available to participants.

Join our webinar to receive valuable information from an industry expert about updates on product-focused database specialization, how to maximize use of your SQL Server install base, reasons for upgrading to R2 and tips and tricks. Watch Snyder’s comments about SQL Server 2008 in this clip and then join the webinar.

Here is your chance to win a free online training course!

Have you been thinking of getting your A+ certification? Or maybe you need to hone your Excel 2010 skills? For one week only, we are giving away a year of access to an online training course for one lucky winner – and all you need to do to enter is tell us why you want your selected course!

How to enter:

First, choose one of the following courses:

Excel 2010

Dreamweaver CS5

JavaScript Fundamentals

Windows 7 Configuration

CompTIA A+

IC3 Global Standard 3

Then post on our Wall on Facebook or Tweet to us on Twitter (@LearnKey) why you want your selected course. Are you getting a certification to go for a promotion? Or maybe you want to train up for a new job? Or maybe you’ve always been curious about how to use Dreamweaver? Let us know, and you could win!

The contest ends one week from today, at 11:59pm PT on March 3 and the winner will be announced on Facebook and Twitter March 4, where we will then work out the details and get you set up with your free OnlineExpert course. Remember you only have a week, so what are you doing still reading our amazing blog? You should be entering on Twitter or Facebook!

*Offer applies to the selected Online courses only. The contest winner will receive 1 year access to OnlineExpert, where they will be assigned the course of their choice.

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Whether you are an employer or employee, think of your workplace – you probably have computer programs that make your job much easier. Maybe you use Microsoft Word to create letters and proposals, or maybe you use Google Docs to collaborate and share documents between your various offices. Technology is often implemented to make work more efficient, but what about decreasing the time between the hiring and starting work? What about the training?

Training can be difficult to find time to do in the workplace. When you get hired at a new job, they hired you because there was a position that needed to be filled, which means often times they need you to start right away. This can sometimes make it difficult to find time for training. That’s where a flexible, training program that is available 24/7 comes in.

(By the way, LearnKey’s online training platform is being implemented in businesses and schools all over the world – check out learnkey.com to see what we have to offer!)

In an article by Margery Weinstein “Technology Keeps Training on Track” she discusses the challenges a retail store faced with training employees. The main challenge was the amount of time available to train. This was solved by implementing a training program that was available online all the time, and the lessons were divided into short modules of 5-10 minutes. This new program proved to be more successful for the retail company.

So, think of your workplace again – you’re currently using various technologies to make your work easier. Where else could changes be made? Could your business benefit from an online training program?

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President’s Day was designed to celebrate George Washington and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays, but for many of you it just means an extra day off from work and some amazing sales. So, in honor of the Presidents of the United States of America (the actual Presidents, not the 90’s alt-rock band), here are some fun facts about our nation’s past leaders:

We had a blast this year at TCEA and loved meeting everyone who stopped by our booth. We still have blisters on our hands from turning and testing so many keys. We look forward to next year and hope to see Ya’ll then.

There are so many of our friends in Texas that are making a difference in their student’s lives. We could not touch so many lives for the better without all of you!!

We gave away various prizes at the show, including iPods, USB flash drives, gift cards, LearnKey swag, and a Kindle – check out the image gallery below of our winners!

Have you ever wanted to walk the halls of the Palace of Versailles or get a close up view of the real The Starry Night? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you now have the opportunity to do so because of a unique partnership between Google and 17 museums around the world. If you are a teacher this is a great chance to show your students some amazing art from around the world, that they may otherwise never have the chance to see. This would be a great tool to integrate into your history lessons with all of the information provided right there for you.

The Art Project provides viewers with information about the art, artists, museums, viewing notes, and a lot more. You can also walk through and explore the museums that house some of these great art pieces. In addition, you can zoom in on the art piece, giving you an up close view and the ability to examine the brush strokes in high resolution. It also allows you to create your own artwork collection that you can share with friends and family. The best part about it, is that it is free! So if you have some extra time and want to check out some of the best art in the world while lounging in your PJ’s you now have the option to do just that!

More than 42 states have laws against bullying and many other states are working on legislature, putting pressure on schools and teachers to address these issues and start programs to prevent bullying. The fact is that the change has to take place at the school level and that starts by educating students.

Bullying is serious and it can lead to a lot of serious problems in schools. Bullying has been attributed as the root of suicides, school shootings, and many other violent actions. There have been a lot of high profile cases lately dealing with bullying in schools and this has also added to the pressure being put on schools to make changes and make them now.

If you are interested in this topic or your school is looking for resources to help stop bullying, LearnKey does have training courses available. If you would like a 5 day free trial of our Bullying: You Don’t Have to Take it Anymore course, just fill out this quick form and we will get you set up within the next couple of weeks.

I hope everyone has a great day filled with way too much chocolate and candy!

So today is not all about candy and flowers, there is actually some interesting history behind the reason why we celebrate today. It is still a mystery who exactly we are celebrating, but there are some very good theories. There are at least three saints named Valentine or some variation and all three were martyred, perhaps this is why there is so much mystery surrounding the origin of this holiday. There are a few theories about who Valentine was, from a priest who performed secret weddings for young lovers and was killed for it to a man named Valentine who sent the first Valentine and signed it “From your Valentine” to a man who attempted to bust people out of jail. I like the first theory myself, but whatever the reason is it sounds mysterious and my sweet tooth is thankful for it.

Here are some fun facts about today:

One billion cards are estimated to be sent each year.

Women buy 85% of all valentines.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., France, and Australia.

They even sent Valentine greetings in the Middle Ages.

Esther A. Howland made the first commercial Valentine’s Day cards in 1840 in the U.S.